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How Hacker News ranking works: scoring, controversy, and penalties (2013)

205 points · 110 comments · theanonymousone

  1. kens · · focus · HN ↗
    Author here. I don't know why this popped up 13 years later, but hi :-)
    1. doginasuit · · focus · HN ↗
      Would you say it is still roughly the same?

      > It's unclear if these penalties result from HN administrators or from flagged articles.

      Any answers or insights on this within the last 13 years?

      1. 0xbadcafebee · · focus · HN ↗
        The mods are much more sensitive now to anything they consider flame-bait, flame-baiting, or controversial. Much quicker to intimidate/threaten, de-emphasize posts, flag-kill, etc. I presume because HN may be influencing/affecting some billion dollar bottom lines now and they can't afford a bad look
        1. justsomehnguy · · focus · HN ↗
          Do you have showdead enabled?

          There is a firehose of the dead submissions and this is a good day today - just about 1 per minute and only 30% are dead. Somedays it's much, much worse.

          HN attracts every wannabe out there and there is always a banal spam. So no wonder people don't want^W have time to hand hold anyone.

          1. Melatonic · · focus · HN ↗
            I've always had showdead on but don't often actually see a ton of dead comments. Occasionally I see one that's dead and seems odd (and sometimes interesting). Lot of the time it is stuff I'm not surprised is dead.

            And rarely I see something that seems very very odd it's dead - although in those cases I usually assume it's just a bunch of bots or people downvoting (vs some kind kf moderator conspiracy)

            1. justsomehnguy · · focus · HN ↗
              > but don't often actually see a ton of dead comments. Occasionally I see one that's dead and seems odd (and sometimes interesting).

              > Lot of the time it is stuff I'm not surprised is dead.

              You can't see something doesn't exist [anymore].

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